As one of several new models of shoes from Serfas for 2013, the men’s Palladium road shoe just landed here at Bikerumor as one of the latest pairs in for review. The Palladium is the highest level of road shoe Serfas offers that does not have a carbon sole – for carbon, you’ll have to bump up to the new Zirconium model. With a retail of $125, the Palladiums seem to offer a lot of value for a little price, though how they perform on the road is the big question.
Check out the different elements of the Palladium shoes, after the break.
On the bottom of the new Palladium, you’ll find Serfas Triple Density sole, with an increased stiffness rating of 8, with the lower end Radium shoe at a 7, and the Zirconium Carbon boasting a stiffness rating of 10. Palladiums are both SPD and SPD-SL compatible (meaning Look, Time, and Speedplay as well) so pedal choice won’t be an issue.
The heel pads on the Palladium are not replaceable, which isn’t surprising on this level of shoe. Fortunately, the pads are quite thick meaning you should get plenty of miles out of your shoes before they are worn down. Same thing goes for the front of the shoe as well.
The microfiber and mesh construction of the shoe lends itself to excellent ventilation and keeps the uppers quite supple. Our size 42 review pair registered 325g on the scale, meaning the claimed weight of 325g for a size 44 may be just slightly off.
Inside the Palladium, is what looks to be a fairly simple insole, though Serfas lists it as a Triple Compound deal that allows more flex from the footbed to the upper leather.
The Palladium has a well padded tongue,with plenty of ventilation throughout the shoe – you can even see some daylight shining into the inside of the shoe. A sewn in buckle and offset strap system keeps things snug, for an anatomical fit.
First Impressions
Out of the box, the Palladiums have a quality look and feel of shoes that are much higher in price. The only part of the shoe that won’t have you thinking it’s a $200 shoe is the sole – while plenty stiff for most casual riders, it certainly isn’t a race shoe. The sole seems to flex quite a bit torsionally, yet remain fairly stiff when pushing down to pedal. This combined with the suppleness of the uppers and roomy fit of the shoe should equate to a shoe that is super comfortable for long days in the saddle. I am happy to see such a generous toe box, so if you find most shoes too constricting for your toes Serfas might be the answer. The rest of the shoe is quite voluminous in its fit as well meaning I have to pull down on the straps more than I should – a normal trait for most shoes for me, I have wide toes but not really wide feet.
Overall though, the fit is quite good and there is little bunching of the uppers once they are strapped down. I’m usually in a 42 or 42.5, and these 42s seem to be on the bigger size compared to other brands – though it could just be the fact that I’m used to the toe boxes squeezing in my toes to get a proper fit. We’ll get back with a longer term review after the Spring road bike season kicks off, stay tuned.
